


The Start of Something

by Sydders09



Series: Cowboy Bebop (Spike Spiegel) [3]
Category: Cowboy Bebop (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Gunshot Wounds, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sydders09/pseuds/Sydders09
Summary: Vida and Spike start something unexpected, but not unwelcomed.
Relationships: Spike Spiegel/Original Female Character
Series: Cowboy Bebop (Spike Spiegel) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740274
Kudos: 9





	The Start of Something

“Shit!” Vida shouted, clutching her arm.

“What happened?” Jet said through the comms.

“I was hit. Bullet. I can’t...” She hissed and pressed hard on the wound. “I can’t move my arm right now.”

“Stay where you are. I’m on my way. Spike? Faye? You’re on your own.”

Faye laughed. “Don’t worry, Jet. We can handle it.”

Spike’s line was silent.

* * *

Vida sat on the couch in her tank top and dirty jeans she didn’t have a chance to change. Her jaw was set and her head turned in the opposite direction of Jet digging into her arm. It took all her strength no to scream.

“Almost done,” he said, finally grasping the bullet with medical tweezers. He carefully removed the piece of metal and dropped it on the pile of bloody towels he used to clean up her arm. “Lemme stitch it up and wrap it.”

“Thanks, Jet. Sorry.”

“It happens. Don’t worry about it.”

“I should be out there helping them.”

“They’ll be fine.”

Vida jumped with the door for the hangar slammed and Faye shouted.

“What the hell was that back there, Spike?! You almost killed him!”

Spike sauntered in with a furious Faye trailing behind him.

“Please don’t tell me we’ve lost the reward money,” Jet groaned.

“Don’t worry. He’s tied up in the Swordfish.” Spike looked at Vida. “How bad is it?”

She shrugged. “Could be worse. Jet’s doing a great job.”

“Good.”

Vida, Jet, and Faye watched him walk away deeper into the ship without another word.

“What happened out there?”

Faye looked at Jet. “No clue. He was fine and the second he had the guy pinned, he lost his cool.”

Jet finished with Vida’s arm. “You go check on him while I help Faye get our guy out of the ship.”

“Got it. Thanks again.”

* * *

She found him at the bridge smoking a cigarette and staring at Jet’s game of shogi. Quietly, Vida sat on the stool Spike usually sat on when playing.

“You doing all right, Spike? According to Faye, you lost control out there. Wanna talk about it?”

“Are you my therapist?”

She chuckled. “Far from it. I’m not sure I’ll be helpful to whatever is going on in your head. Sometimes it helps to talk about it though.”

He stamped out his cigarette in the ashtray. “You worry too much.”

“Hey, Jet sent me. He’s the worried one.”

“How’s your arm?”

“I feel like you just asked me that. It’s all right, by the way. It aches a lot, but I’ll survive. I’m sure I’ll need pain meds later. I feel pretty badass with my first battle scar.”

“You’ll have to change the wrap in a little while.”

She shrugged and played with a couple of shogi pieces off to the side. “I’ll have Jet help. Maybe Faye. You if you’re not busy.”

“What’s in it for me?” he smirked.

“My appreciation for you?”

“That’s it?”

Vida leaned forward tilting her head to the side. “Are you flirting with me, Spike?”

He walked past her to leave. “Make sure to take care of that arm, Vida.”

She released air through her nose, amused by his aloof demeanor as he strolled out the door.

* * *

Vida cleaned up her arm, dabbing it dry before attempting to rewrap it. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get it tight enough for the gauze to stay in place with the medical tape.

Groaning, she wrapped her towel around her body and peeked outside the bathroom.

“Faye?” she called out.

No answer.

Her wet feet echoed off the metal walls until she peered around the corner to check the living space.

“Faye!” Her voice was hardly over a whisper. Still no response. Vida cursed.

“Language.”

Vida shrieked and turned, feet slipping on the floor. While her arms went to keep her towel in place, another pair went around her to keep her upright.

“Careful.”

Her eyes shot up to Spike’s face that was suddenly much closer than she expected, flushing at his smirk. “W-Where's Faye?”

“No idea. Something wrong?”

“Uh... My arm... I-I can’t get the wrap to-to... to stay.”

His arms slid away from her. With practiced hands, Spike rewrapped her arm and secured it. His eyes met her. “It looks better.”

“After a few days? Jet did a good job then.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Um... I’m going to go back to get dressed...”

“This look works for you.”

“Chasing bounties will be interesting.”

Her waist was held captive again by Spike’s hands.

“Spike...” she whispered.

“Vida.”

“Spike!”

Vida jumped away, pulling out of Spike’s hold and bunching up her towel tighter before Jet came around the corner.

He turned bright red and covered his eyes. “Vida! Why are you...? Go get some clothes on!”

“I’m sorry! I couldn’t wrap my arm by myself and I was looking for Faye. Spike found me instead... and just finished helping me.”

“Great, great. Now get out of here!”

Vida scampered away, meeting Spike’s gaze as she did. The smirk on his lips made her heart race and her cheeks redden. She had a feeling they’d speak later.

* * *

It was late. The only sounds in the Bebop were the hum of the engines and Vida’s slippered steps. She couldn’t sleep. Spike was to blame for it. The way he had stared down at her, pulling her closer until Jet came by. When did something sprout between them?

Vida couldn’t deny she was attracted to him. Once she got past his rough exterior, he was a pretty cool guy. He cared about a lot more than he gave off if his quiet moment outside where he almost died was any indication of his gentle nature. But she never imagined Spike having a soft spot for her. The picture of the woman he left behind - that she took for herself - confused her further.

The quiet sound of a television show reached her ears the closer she strolled to the living room. The blueish light from the monitor glowed off every visible surface. Vida quietly entered the room.

Luck - whether good or bad - placed her in the presence of Spike once again. His feet were propped up on the table and he had his head resting on the back of the couch as if he was sleeping. The lit cigarette between his lips told her otherwise.

“Isn’t it a bit late for TV?”

Spike turned his head toward her. “Isn’t it a little late for you to be missing your beauty sleep?”

She scoffed and sat in the chair diagonal to the couch. “Faye complains about a lack of beauty sleep. I don’t care if I look like death in the morning.”

The show chattered on. Vida caught a few words, but her focus was more on the man staring at her. At least she was dressed in more than a towel.

“Why are you up?” she asked.

“Couldn’t sleep. You?”

“Same.”

Vida jumped at a clanging somewhere deep in the ship.

Spike chuckled. “Nervous?”

“Should I be?”

“You are sitting over there.”

“I don’t know what to expect from you right now. What... What happened earlier?”

“Nothing thanks to Jet.” Spike stretched after putting out his cigarette.

“So... what would’ve happened... if Jet didn’t come by?”

“Who knows?”

“C’mon, Spike. Don’t play coy.”

“I guess it would’ve depended on you.”

She swallowed imagine several scenarios.

Spike took his feet off the table and leaned forward, his hand cradling his chin. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Dammit, Spike. Just give me a straight answer.” Vida stood and towered over the bounty hunter. Her fists clenched and unclenched consistently until Spike stood up. “I’m... I’m so confused.’

“You and me both,” he said before catching Vida off-guard.

His lips pressed against hers and he pulled her flush against him, mindful of her arm. Vida had no chance to respond or process what happened. Spike let her go, almost acting as if he hadn’t done anything.

Vida, despite her shock, tucked her lower lip between her teeth and met Spike’s heavy gaze. A few seconds slipped by. Neither of them said a word. Vida moved first.

Her hand went to the back of his head, bringing his lips back to her. Her other hand rested on his shoulder for support. At the same time Vida deepened the kiss, she stood on her toes to eliminate any remaining space between them. His arms wrapping around her middle certainly helped as well.

Kissing Spike wasn’t life-changing, but she liked it more than any kiss she shared with men before. She didn’t mind he tasted like cigarettes or that she had to basically stand on the table to reach his lips without strain. As confused as Vida was about the new development between them, she was on board to continue it.

The Bebop creaked again, forcing the two apart. Their chests rose and fell heavily while they studied each other. Spike smirked, making Vida laugh into her hand. She eventually went back to him, taking his hand instead of kissing him. She turned the monitor off and pulled Spike behind her.

Every turn she made, Vida checked to see if Jet or Faye were meandering about. The late hour didn’t mean either stayed asleep. It was a relief they reached her room without getting caught. Vida led Spike inside.

He stared at all the things she gathered in her time on the Bebop. Bottle caps and broken parts that managed to look like art in how she displayed them.

“I never took you for a packrat,” he said, bending over to look at something he swore he replaced a while ago on the Swordfish. “Is this-?”

“Yes.” Vida stood next to him. “Even broken things are worth keeping sometimes. I liked the way it looked and you were just going to throw it out.”

“I wondered where it went.”

“Sorry, I guess. Sometimes I take things and forget to say something about it.”

“I don’t care. I don’t need it and we can’t trade it in.”

Vida nodded, looking up at Spike.

“Keep anything else that was mine?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you only take things from me or do Jet and Faye lose things mysteriously?”

“I don’t take anything being used. Just the broken or deliberately forgotten things.”

Spike hummed, bringing Vida closer so he could kiss her again. He smiled against her lips when she let out a noise of surprise. It grew when she returned the gesture.

“We’re not going to tell them about this, right?” Vida said, pulling away just enough to speak.

“Jet and Faye?”

She nodded, play with his tie since he never changed into his sleep clothes.

“They don’t have to know anything. It’ll be our little secret.”

“You really want to do this... with me?” She resisted looking at her shelf with the mystery woman’s photo.

“Nervous?”

Vida tugged on his tie and stared at him with a smirk. “Yeah. Nervous you’ll be hooked and can’t get enough of me.”

Spike didn’t say anything, but his lips turned up a little. He could admit he’d been hooked for a while, only let himself to start acting on it after she found him almost dead. Vida didn’t know he heard her talking, heard her concern in his unconscious state. He even felt her hands on his face. She was how he could breathe again.

“Spike?”

“Yeah?” He kissed her mouth.

“I’m not the kind of girl who sleeps with a lot of guys for the hell of it. We do this and you’re stuck with me.”

“Fine by me.”

Vida released a breath. “Thank goodness,” she said before taking his lips with hers.

* * *

Vida settled into the warm spot Spike had been in, her eyes steady on the bounty hunter as he pulled his pants on. It almost felt cold for him to leave so soon, but he stayed all night with her. Jet and Faye were the only reasons he was leaving.

“Will you come back tonight?” she asked.

“How about you come to my room?”

“I can. Maybe we should get some sleep, too. As much as I enjoyed not sleeping, they’ll be suspicious if both of us can’t stay awake hunting our next bounty head.”

“We’ll see.” Spike stretched and glanced over at a shelf. He paused and stared.

Vida followed his eyes and sat up. “I’m sorry, but... but I couldn’t leave that behind. I-I know you clearly want to forget and I have no idea who she is... She’s too beautiful to forget... If you’re going to forget her, I’ll be the one to remember her. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you I took it.”

“Julia,” he said. “Her name was Julia.”

“You don’t... I don’t have to know about her... Not if it upsets you to think of her.”

Spike took the two steps to reach her bad, leaned over, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

“You’re not mad?”

“No. You can keep it.”

“It won’t bother you?”

“She’s gone now. Forever in the past.”

“Will... Will you tell me about her someday?”

He nodded, leaving kisses along her jawline. When he hit the sensitive flesh below her ear, Vida stifled a moan.

“As badly as I want you to keep doing that,” she breathed, “Jet and Faye will be awake any moment.”

Spike sighed and went back to dressing himself. “Fine. But they’ll find out soon enough.”

“Yeah, I know. For now, I want to enjoy this without their noses in it.”

“Then I suggest we find a way to keep you quiet,” he smirked.

Vida turned pink. “I guess you’ll have to kiss me more.”

Once his shirt was buttoned and his jacket was on, Spike left Vida with one last kiss. “You might wanna hide your neck.”

“You didn’t...”

“See you later, Vida,” Spike grinned before leaving her alone. His whistles echoed off the walls until he was too far to here.

“I swear...” Vida mumbled, getting out of bed to check her mirror. Purple splotches marked the base of her throat and around her collarbone. She couldn’t recall Spike leaving them in the heat of last night. Hopefully, it would be cool enough for a scarf and sweater.


End file.
